Food and Drink in Regency England

One of Georgette Heyer's greatest talents was the way she immersed herself in the
period. The detail she provides in her novels is exceptional, but it often leaves the
uninitiated wondering, "just what isorgeat?
Or ratafia, or negus,
or madeira, or port? What is a cordial or a posset?
What does a baked egg taste like?"

Rest, and look no further. Compiled here is a little culinary research I have done in
the name of literature.

Port, madeira and sherry are heavy, "fortified" wines, that is to say,
bolstered with brandy (or some other heavy liquor). Port derives its name from the port
city of Oporto in Portugal. Madeira is named for an island of Portugal, and Malaga for an
island of Spain; malmsey is originally a Greek fortified wine, but its production has
moved to Madeira. Marsala is of Sicilian origin, and used in the dish veal marsala.

Madeira is particularly noted as a dessert wine, but is often used as an apertif or
after dinner drink, while port is only for after dinner, and historically only for men.

"Orgeat" is defined in my dictionary as
"a sweet flavoring syrup of orange and almond used in cocktails and food."
Another definition is "an almond emulsion used to flavor drinks and sweets."

"Ratafia" is defined as "1. a sweet
cordial flavored with fruit kernels or almonds. 2. a biscuit flavored with ratafia."

Cocktails? Cordials? Wasn't the point of the insipid refreshments at
Almack's that they were not spiritous? Weak tea and stale cakes! So what sort of cocktails
did they make?

I found a recipe for orgeat syrup. I wouldn't ask anyone to make this stuff, as it
looks like a lot of trouble and it is reputed to be as unpalatable as Heyer's heros
considered it. In fact, one of our own illustrious list members has provided us with the
following review:

"The cafe outside Nordstrom's Department Store at the Pentagon City Mall here
in Washington has a selection of Italian syrups to make non-alcoholic drinks with. One
flavor is Orgeat! So I tried it, of course, when I saw it. It was combined with ice water
(not fizzy, I think I recall). It was incredibly, nauseatingly sweet. I imagine it could
also have been put into a boozy drink too. It was like making a cherry coke--just adding
syrup only to water. However, after trying it, I fully see why it left our Regency folks
unexcited. Blecch."

Kristin Smagula found the following recipe for Ratafia in Robert's Guide for Butlers
& Other Household Staff, published in 1828.

Into one quart of brandy pour half a pint of cherry juice, as much currant juice, as
much of raspberry juice, add a few cloves, and some white pepper in grains, two grains of
green coriander, and a stick or two of cinnamon, then pound the stones of cherries, and
put them in wood and all. Add about twenty five or thirty kernels of apricots. Stop your
demijohn close and let it infuse for one month in the shade, shaking it five or six times
in that time at the end of which strain it through a flannel bag, then through a filtering
paper, and then bottle it and cork close for use; you can make any quantity you chose,
only by adding or increasing more brandy or other ingredients.

serves a crowd

Negus is another name for mulled wine, which traditionally was prepared by adding some
cinnamon/cloves/nutmeg/fruit peel/whatever to a mug of wine, and then heating it by
stirring with a hot poker from the fire.

Make a syrup by boiling for 5 minutes:

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups water

4 dozen whole cloves

6 sticks cinnamon

3 crushed nutmegs

Peel of 3 lemons, 2 oranges

Strain syrup. Add to it:

4 cups hot lemon or lime juice

Heat well and add:

4 bottles red wine

Serve very hot with slices of:

Lemon and pineapple

These proportions may be varied to taste. Sometimes Madeira, port or sherry is used in
this formula.

Here is another recipe for negus, provided by Maria, from Mrs. Beeton's Book of
Household Management, originally published in 1861:

To Make Negus:

As this beverage is more usually drunk at children's parties than at any other,
the wine need not be very old or expensive for the purpose, a new fruity wine answering
very well for it. Put the wine into a jug, rub some lumps of sugar (equal to 1/4 lb.) on
the lemon-rind until all the yellow part of the skin is absorbed, then squeeze the juice,
and strain it. Add the sugar and lemon-juice to the port wine, with the grated nutmeg;
pour over it the boiling water, cover the jug, and, when the beverage has cooled a little,
it will be fit for use. Negus may also be made of sherry, or any other sweet white wine,
but is more usually made of port than of any other beverage.

Sufficient:

Allow 1 pint of wine, with the other ingredients in proportion, for a party of 9
or 10 children.

Talk about your very happy children!

I find it a little curious that by mid-century negus has been demoted from Insipid
Almack's Refreshment to a children's drink. A Regency heroine would have been a
grandmother by then, so it's likely that either she or her children revolted against
serving it at grown-up parties.

A "cordial" is an aromatic drink or liqueur, but is also defined as a
stimulant. So a cordial provided to a lady fainting on a sofa, while meant to revive her,
might put her to sleep. On the other hand, it might calm an agitated person. Along with
laudanum, a vile-tasting opium derivative, taken by diluting several drops in a glass of
water, this was one of the most popluar "restoratives" until we discovered how
addicting they can be. It should also be noted that during the Victorian era, heavy wines
like port and claret were considered too strong for the delicate nature of ladies. Yet at
the same time they were being plied with cordials and laudanum to overcome their
delicateness.

On the other hand, the traditional nanny remedy for insomniac
children (and frail heroines) looks quite well-designed to put a person to sleep: a Hot
Milk Posset.

Hot Milk Posset

2 generous servings (one for Nanny and one or two for the little ones)

Blanch and pound in a mortar:

2 or 3 bitter almonds (modern substitution:

1/8 teaspoon or less almond extract)

Heat:

1 pint milk

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1/4 cup sugar

Add the almonds and when the milk begins to scald remove from heat. Beat
and add:

or Eggs en Cocotte

Baked eggs always have great "eye appeal" served in little ramekins,
casseroles, or cocotte dishes. Care must be taken that they are not overcooked, as the
white can become quite hard and rubbery and the ramekin will retain the heat and continue
to cook the egg after it is removed from the oven. If you put a poaching paper over the
ramekin, this will return enough heat to the topside of the egg to set it. The centers
sould be soft, the whites just set. Don't try to hurry baked eggs; they must be cooked in
gentle oven heat.

My dictionary defines "cocotte" as "prostitute" but was helpful
enough to provide two useful definitions for "ramekin": (1) a cheese preparation
made with eggs and bread crumbs or unsweetened puff pastry, baked and served in individual
dishes. (2) a small individual dish used for both baking and serving.

For an "individual casserole" dish I use CorningWare's smallest round white
casserole (about 5" diameter). You could also use a deep square petit pan
(CorningWare), and Pyrex makes some small baking dishes too. Some of these recipes call
for muffin pans, for which you could also use Pyrex custard cups.

I have not tried most of these recipes, and cannot vouch for whether they are anything
like what the English ate during the Regency. Some are very basic and appear to be
traditional; others are more exotic and in my opinion would not have been served in any
household where an English cook ruled the kitchen.

For interesting variations to baked eggs try adding: cooked mushrooms, asparagus tips,
tomatoes or other vegetables, such as creamed spinach. Or add chichen hash, small bits of
bacon, sausage or anchovy. Or place a round of toast covered with Gruyere cheese in the
bottom of the baker before the eggs are added. Instead of butter, you may also cover the
eggs with a cheese or tomato sauce before baking. Other tasteful sauce additions are: one
cup cream sauce flavored with 1 teaspoon prepared mustard; creamed mushrooms or canned
soup--celery, mushroom, asparagus, etc. Dilute the latter with milk or water to the
consistency of cream sauce. Eggs are also good baked in 1 cup or more of creamed onions.

This dish is really rich and filling! I make it regularly. Serves 1. When doubling, you
can make it in a larger casserole. You can substitute frozen spinach for fresh, but it
won't be the same! Use 1/4 to 1/3 of a (10 oz) package of frozen spinach, thawed and
squeezed.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly oil an individual casserole dish and warm it in the
oven.

Heat in a small skillet:

1 teaspoon olive oil

When hot, reduce the heat to low and add:

2-3 handfuls fresh spinach leaves, washed and patted dry

Coat the spinach leaves with the oil and cook covered 2-3 minutes, or
until they are limp and bright green. Put the spinach in the bottom of the casserole.
Break over the spinach:

Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remember that it will continue to cook for a few minutes after
you take it out of the oven. Variations: I have topped this with crumbled bacon and/or
freshly grated Parmesan cheese. (Don't use the canned stuff!!)

Reduce the heat and stir this roux with a whisk until it is
lightly browned. Add:

3/4 cup heavy cream

pinch salt

pinch ground white pepper

pinch ground nutmeg

Continue cooking over low heat 2-3 minutes, constantly stirring with a whisk until it
begins to thicken. Remove from heat.

Notes: When doubling, use milk in addition to (or instead of) cream. I use cream
because it has fewer carbohydrates than milk (I'm on a low-carb, not a low-fat diet--see
my home page for details) and because using cream reduces cooking time (it thickens very
quickly). The original recipe calls for 1 cup of milk, and uses 1/2 of this recipe to top
the Baked Egg Florentine. When using milk, cooking time may be as long as 7-10 minutes.

Store any unused sauce in the refrigerator for up to two days. Use as a topping for
vegetables, leftover frittata, leftover casserole, fish filets, etc. Everything is yummy
with cream sauce poured over it!

Variation: Sauce Mornay

Once the Bechamel Sauce is cooked, add 1 teaspoon grated Parmesan cheese, and stir to
mix.